The Tale of Noatak
by Noatak
Summary: "We never found a sign of Noatak. We thought he perished in that storm..." The story of what took place the years following the day he ran away.
1. The Storm

_"We never found a sign of Noatak. We thought he perished in that storm..."_

* * *

_**The Tale of Noatak**_

White. That's all he could see. The snow storm hadn't let up since he started running and gave no sign of doing so anytime soon.

It had been a harsh two or so days for Noatak. Two days of aimless wandering in the freezing cold. His cheeks were bright red, cold and irritated by the ice hitting him in the face. He could barely feel anything anymore. He had not been prepared for being out in the cold this long.

'Where am I going?' He thought. Every direction looked the same in this weather. He had long lost his sense of what was north or south, east or west. It was all a guessing game now. He was hoping he'd find some shelter.

The snow was whipping his extremities hard. His boots were almost soaked through leaving his feet numb, almost with a hot, burning sensation. His nose was running. Any drippings freezing almost instantly on his face.

Everything hurt, he thought. He couldn't go on much longer. The thought of returning home- his warm, safe home- entered his mind although he didn't know how 'safe' or 'warm' it would be now.. And the possibilities of finding his home, or at least finding it before he froze to death, was slim to none. It wasn't an option.

he didn't want to return to his village though. Even if that meant having to wander for a new home until he couldn't walk anymore. he didn't want to return. Not after what happened.

His father was a monster. Making him fight against his younger brother. Using them as tools of revenge. As far as he knew, his father never really loved him.

Noatak forced back tears, only letting a small, choking cough to come out.

"You are being weak, Noatak!" He cursed himself, wiping his nose with his sleeve. "He was manipulating you. Using you! You are better than him." The tears got caught in his throat again and he forcefully tried to make them go back down. He was being a baby.

The winds continued to whip his face. Noatak pulled his jacket closer with no success at becoming warmer. His clothes were soaked and his entire body was numb.

A tiny cry escaped from his mouth without him realizing it. Then another, and another, until he was taking gasps of breath in between broken cries.

"I'm s-so-oh-oh co-oh-old-d-d." He said in a hushed voice to himself. His teeth chattered and he shook all over. Tears were freezing to his face as they streamed down, and he could taste the salt of his blood on his cracked lips.

Finally his legs gave out, and a whimper died on his lips. Noatak crumpled to the ground, and he could not get up. He wailed out with what strength he had left. He was praying to who ever might have been looking out for him that someone would hear him. The thought was a bit ridiculous though. The wind was so strong. he was sure that his cries would just be blown away and carried somewhere further into the storm.

Noatak became silent except for the occasional muffled cry. All he could hear was the sound of his shallow breaths. He stopped moving. He was to tired to. He just laid there as the snow got caught in his hair and eye lashes. He closed his eyes.

His thoughts slowly made their way in, one by one.

_ I hope Tarrlok is okay. I'm glad he didn't come..._

_ I'm so tired.. I just want to sleep... _

_sleep._

_ I don't feel so cold anymore.._

And then, they all stopped.

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R&R

-Bea


	2. The Find

_"It's okay, Nola. You can go home now. I can take care of him. I'll be home in a little bit... Make sure nothing falls out this time, okay?"_

The sound of heavy hoofs could be heard making their way off into the distance. Noatak fluttered his eyes open, squeezing them tight at the sight of the blindingly bright snow. He groaned as he slowly tried to adjust them to his surroundings.

His body ached. Pins and needles seemed to run up and down relentlessly. The idea of moving seemed like a terribly daunting task, He thought. Every part of him seemed to be tingling.

He shifted slightly, trying to pull his jacket in for warmth, and finally realized the thick, polar bison blanket he was cocooned in. 'what?' He whispered to himself.

He positioned his arms to Push himself up so he could sit which proved to be a much more difficult task than he anticipated.

he steadied himself, looking around. A fire was burning a few feet from him, but other than that, there was nothing else.

'what happened?' he thought. The last thing he remembered was the storm. And falling. He was so sure he was going to die. So how was he still alive? Who had helped him?

"Here." Noatak turned slowly, wearily, too tired to jump at being a bit startled. A small hand was extended towards him, holding a cooked fish wrapped in a white cloth. Noatak stared at the fish for a moment, almost processing what it was, then slowly, his eyes made their way up the length of whoever's arm it was. At the end was a young girl about his age.

"Here," she repeated, giving the fish a tiny shake as if to catch his attention. "Take it. You look like you need it." Noatak looked at the fish, hesitant. His eyes danced back and forth between the girl and the fish until a smile appeared on her face. "Don't worry, it won't bite," She assured him. "It's okay. Take it."

Noatak slowly reached for the fish only to cradle it for a brief moment in his hands, staring at it, before finally unwrapping it.

Then, as if just realizing what he was given- Food! good, edible, wonderful food!- He tore off one of his gloves with his front teeth, and started eating it greedily with his bare hands.

A small giggle was emitted from the girl's smiling lips as she sat down next to him. Noatak didn't even notice and the girl didn't seem to mind. She just kept smiling and sort of played with the snow under her leather boots.

Before he knew it, the fish was gone. Noatak made sure to carefully pick up every last crumb left on the cloth, until there was nothing left.

"Good, huh?" The boy jumped a bit. He had forgotten he had company. "It's one of my favorites. They're pretty rare around here, so I always consider it a treat when I catch one." Noatak peered down at the completely empty cloth, guilty and ashamed about how greedy he was not to share.

"Don't feel bad though," She said, kicking the snow into a small pile. "My mom always tells me I shouldn't eat before a proper dinner. It'll ruin my appetite, she says." The girl stopped kicking the snow, turned to the boy by her side and smiled a huge smile. "That's silly though. I could eat all day if I only had the food!" She laughed. Noatak looked away, not quite knowing what to say. What a strange girl, he thought. there was a silence. Only the wind blowing could be heard. Noatak shivered and pulled the blanket closer.

"You know, you were out here for pretty long," she said, bringing an end to the quiet. "I thought for sure that I had been too late to find you. Good thing for Nola, or I probably would have been." Noatak stared at his hands. They were bright pink, but they weren't so prickly anymore.

"Nola is my Buffalo Yak. I just sent her back home right before you woke up." She explained, using a small stick to poke and prod at the fire before reaching into a medium sided bag she had a pulling out a handful of snapped branches and throwing them into the fire.

"My names Kahota by the way," she said. "but you can call me Kota."

"Kota.." Noatak thought. Kahota smiled.

"What's your name?" The young boy hesitated, looking down at his hands and shifting awkwardly in his place.

"That's alright. You don't have to tell me," Kahota assured him, pushing herself up onto her feet. "Mother always says you shouldn't press people for answers. It's disrespectful." She smiled once more and extended a hand to the nameless boy. "You think you can stand?" He stared at her hand for a moment and then finally took it gingerly and was pulled up. The blanket fell off his shoulders and pooled around his feet. Noatak scrambled to pick it up and handed it to her. Kahota shook her head and pushed the blanket back to him with her fingertips, gently placed on his hand.

"Keep it." she insisted. He looked at the fistful of fur in his hand awkwardly. Kahota giggled and took it from him. "Here," she said, wrapping the blanket around him. She took his hands and neatly clutched them around the ends of the blanket to hold. "There. Isn't that better?" She smiled and let go. Noatak's legs felt wobbly at first at the loss of her grip, but he managed to hold himself up without her help.

Kahota stood in front of him, studying him, looking at his face. It made him a little uncomfortable. The girl stood a couple inches shorter than him, forcing her to jut her chin out in the slightest to look him in the eyes. She gave him a puzzled look.

"How old are you, anyway?" She asked. He looked about her age, but he acted like he might have been 1 or 2 years older.

"Fifteen." He replied.

"Oh. I only just turned fourteen." She said disappointedly, her mouth pursed to one side and eyes looking at the floor. A few moments went by in silence. The two just stood facing each other not making eye contact.

"You're quiet, huh?" Noatak stiffened slightly, opening his mouth to speak.

"I-" The sound of a bison horn was heard close by, and Kahota looked to her left in the direction of the sound.

"Oh! I have to go. THat's my dad." She explained, walking over to a heather creel basket placed in the snow and swinging it onto her back. "He gets sort of grumpy when I'm late with dinner." She patted the basket and laughed. "Well, It was nice meeting you," She began as she starting jogging away, looking and waving back at Noatak. "I'll see you later!"

Noatak gave a small, barely noticeable wave despite being puzzled at what just happened and not knowing what he should do. Chances were he wouldn't 'see her later'. He sighed, pulled the blanket tighter, and started walking.

"Hey, wait!" He heard a voice call out. He turned and saw Kahota had stopped and was now running back to him. " Wait. You don't have any place to go, do you?" Noatak looked down and then back up at her. "You're not from around here." He shook his head. "You're from up north, aren't you." Noatak grew a bit nervous. He had no reason to be, he knew that. This girl knew nothing about him.

"H-how did you know that?" He asked.

"Your jacket." She replied with a shrug. "It's thicker than ours are here. It's colder up where you live. The animal have thicker pelts."

The bison horn blew again, this time, a good deal louder.

"I'm coming!" Kahota yelled back in frustration, obviously knowing they could not hear. She turned back to Noatak. "You could stay with us." She pointed to herself and then stretched her arm in the direction of the horn. Noatak followed her arm down to the direction that she lived in. "You probably shouldn't just wander around..." He thought of his options.

He didn't know what to do. He probably would have died if Kahota hadn't found him.. What was he to do if he didn't go with her? Where would he go?

He looked back at Kahota and gave a slight nod and in return, she gave a big smile.

"Well then, come on!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, encouraging him to run with her.

"Thank you." He said in between staggered breaths. She was running pretty fast and he wasn't fully up to running yet.

Kahota just looked back at him and smiled as if to say 'don't worry about it!'

"Noatak," he huffed. Kahota peered over her shoulder and gave him a puzzled look.

"hmm?" as if she didn't quite hear him.

"My name is Noatak," he clarified and in response, Kahota started laughing.

"Wow, you really are from the north." Noatak didn't know what she meant, so he just stayed quite until they (finally) reached her village.

"here we are!" Kahota announced. Noatak huffed heavily, tired and trying to catch his breath. He looked around. Her village looked a lot like his own, perhaps a little larger. It made Noatak somewhat nervous. Maybe the storm had made him delusional and he was back at his own village...

"This is where I live." She told him. She carefully shrugged the basket of fish off her back and into her hands and turned to him. "Come on, let's go in."

"hey..." He started in a meek manner. Kahota stopped in her tracks and turned to him, eyebrow cocked. "What did you mean about my name... about me being from the north?" Kahota gave a small smile and shrugged.

"I don't know. It just sounds Northern to me." Noatak never thought of it that way. "Now come on," Kahota said, readjusting the basket in her hands. "Everyone'll be waiting." She disappeared into the igloo behind the brown curtain. "I'm home!" Noatak heard her announce, and he followed her in.

* * *

R&R please!

-Bea


	3. The Lie

Kahota's house was a lot larger inside than Noatak expected. The walls sloped up into a high 'ceiling' and the minimal furniture made the room look a lot more spacious.

"Mom, Papa, I'm home!" Kahota said loudly. Noatak watched her bounce back and forth in the room, putting the basket of fish here, taking her jacket off there. She didn't stop moving except for a second. "I'm home, Hokada," She said cheerfully, stopping in front of a small wooden table. Noatak looked at her, puzzled, not sure who she was talking to. They were the only two in the room. It wasn't until Kahota continued to bustle around the room that he saw what she was greeting. It was a picture, framed on top of the table. The picture was faded, making it hard to see from where he was standing so he decided he'd try to catch a glimpse later.

"Mom! Papa!" Kahota repeated in a sing song voice. Noatak continued to stand at the entrance, fistful with the blanket he miraculously was able to hold onto while running. He shifted in place, looking for a place to put it down and finally walked over to a wooden chair near, and set it down.

"Kahota. Can you _please_ stop shouting? I just got Anyuk and Anka to go to bed." A short woman said as she entered from a small hallway connected to the main room, rubbing her temple. "I- Oh, hello." The woman, presumably Kahota's moter, gave Noatak a surprised look, bringing her hands to her side. A tall, broad-standing man then appeared from another hallway, furrowed brows crumpling on his face.

"Kota, how many times do I have to tell you that you must be home before the it gets dark. It's very irresponsible and inconsiderate to have your mother and I worry about you like that. And having Nola come back alone was extremely-" He stopped mid sentence and looked at the boy who was uncomfortably standing in their house.

"Papa, I caught so many fish today! See, look!" Kahota said, breaking the brief silence, and Eagerly opening the fish basket and holding it for him to see. The man looked kept his gazed on Noatak for a second more as if he hadn't heard the girl, but then turned to look at Kahota.

"You've brought a guest," He said. Kahota nodded her head and turned to Noatak.

"This is Noatak." She said with a smile. Despite the cheerful look oh her face, Noatak grew uneasy as her father looked him up and down, his eye brows still furrowed.

"Where are you from, Noatak?" The woman in the hallway asked, not so much to be polite but to find out more about this boy that was standing in her house.

"He's from up North," The man answered in a deep, husky voice. "You can tell by the pelts. They're too thick to be from the animals around here." Kahota grinned and turned to Noatak.

With excited pride: "See, I told you!" She turned to her father. "That's what I said, papa!"

"What are you doing down here?" Kahota's father asked. Noatak looked at the ground. What was he to say? He ran away from home because of his father? They would definitely ask questions. "What are you doing down here!" He demanded, but Noatak remained quiet.

"I told him he could stay with us." Kahota explained.

"No. He cannot stay here. You have to leave. Now." The man looked Noatak up and down one last time before turning to leave.

"Hasook, it's already nightfall... He's just a boy." The woman tried to reason.

"Yena, you know of all the rumors I've been hearing about the north. If he stays here, he'll be putting our whole family at risk." He peered over his shoulder at Naotak. "He must go." Yena just nodded and looked to Noatak with what looked like a sympathetic smile.

"Perhaps i could fix you up something warm for your travels," she offered, walking over to a pot that still steamed a bit.

Kahota frowned and balled her hands into fists. "Papa, I refuse to make him leave! You can't do that," She protested.

"Kahota, this isn't you decision to make."

"Noatak saved me!" Hasook turned around to face his daughter, his eyebrow cocked with incredulously, as Noatak gave her a puzzled look. "I almost fell through this ice this morning 4 miles west, but noatak rescued me! You can't throw him out after that! He saved me, Papa." Kahota was lying through her teeth, but nothing on her face indicated that. Her brow was furrowed as her father's was before, her lips pouted, and her look showed determination.

"I've never known you to be so foolish as overestimate the strength of ice."

"Well I did. And if it wasn't for Noatak, I would have died." Hasook's eyes shifted back and forth between the two teens in front of him until finally he gave a great sigh of defeat through his nose.

"You may stay for the night. But tomorrow you must leave," he looked to Kahota and exhaled very loudly before walking back to the hallway. "Yena will show you where you can sleep."

The room must have lost majority of the tension it had built when Hasook had left. Only the three of them stood in the room, silent for a moment before Yena turned to Noatak and gave a small smile.

"I'll fix you both something to eat," she turned to Kahota. "Kota, both you are Noatak wash up." Kahota nodded and lead the boy to where she cleans her hands and face in preparation for dinner, and when done, they both returned to her house to find two soup bowls waiting with a plate of fish.

"Kahota, when you both are done, can you show Noatak to his room? I have to check on your sister."

"Okay, mother," she nodded, and Yena disappeared back into the hallway.

As soon as her mother was gone, She whipped her head around to Noatak and gave him a huge grin. "I hope you're hungry!" She exclaimed, and egan digging into her meal.

Noatak followed suit and quickly finished his meal despite having eaten not too long ago. the meal was very delicious, he thought, and he certainly was very hungry.

* * *

Hope you liked it. R&R

-Bea


	4. The Boy

"You can sleep here, Noatak," Kahota said, pushing open the brown curtains hanging. With her other hand she gestured for him to enter. "Sorry it's not much," She apologized. "we usually don't have guests." Noatak ignored her apology and walked into the room, looking around. It was cozy. It certainly 'wasn't much'. There was a standard bed, a small wooden bedside table, a dresser, and a desk. There wasn't much room for anything else, but that didn't really matter. Noatak had nothing with him and He didn't need anything else anyway. he ran his fingers over the bedpost, stopping to look back at Kahota, and then sat down on the bed.

"This was my brother's room." The small girl looked around the room, running her fingers over the smooth wood surfaces. SHe smiled lightly as she stopped and looked at a small frame. There was a hint of sadness her eyes but it was gone in a flash as she turned to face Noatak. "But I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you stayed here," She turned and cheerfully looked at the picture " would you, Hokada?" she nodded as if hearing a response and then looked to noatak again.

"Do you have any siblings, Noatak?" Noatak looked at her, face blank, and then looked down.

"No. I don't." Kahota pursed her lips and sat down next to him, drawing her knees to her chest and then criss-crossing them.

"I used to wish I was an only child. i wouldn't have to share any of my stuff or deal with silly brothers and sisters... wouldn't get in trouble when we fought..But then you know, I realized I really do love them and would do anything for them.. I couldn't imagine being without them, ya know?" Noatak bit his lip, stopping himself from losing any composure. He inhaled deeply. Kahota didn't notice but turned to him. "I can only imagine how lonely it must be sometimes." Then silence.

Noatak had felt lonely for sometime now. Not because he didn't have anyone, because he did. He had Tarrlok. He had his mom. But he just didn't feel as close anymore. he felt isolated. Ever since he really started training. Ever since _He_ started making them bend like that... He didn't feel like himself anymore. He never felt happy. He just felt.. numb.

"Noatak?" Kahota began hesitantly. Noatak snapped out of his thoughts and quickly became aware of how long he had zoned out. How intense his face must have looked. She must have gotten worried, Noatak thought. He hoped she hadn't been talking the whole time. He didn't want to seem rude.

He looked at Kahota, cocking his eyebrow. 'Hmm?' The girl imagined him asking.

She shook her head and smiled. "Nevermind." She got up and faced him. "I'll let you get some sleep. I don't want to keep you up." She began walking to the door before being stopped.

"Kota." The girl turned around, almost shocked that the boy on the bed had spoken. She cocked her head to the side, eyebrows furrowed, puzzled. "Thank you." Kahota's lips cracked into a small, cheery smiled and she nodded before walking to the doorway again. She stopped once more, this time, not turning around.

"Don't worry, Noatak. I won't let my father make you leave. You'll be safe here." And she left.

Noatak just sat up on the bed, staring in the direction that she just left. He didn't think necessarily think the girl was especially kind or caring, but he did really appreciate what she had done for him.

His eyes left the doorway and grazed the room until finally stopping on the picture frame Kahota had acknowledge before. he cocked his head to the size, furrowed his eye brows and studied the picture. The boy in it must have been around Tarrlok's age. 12 or so. he was smiling, his eyes almost shut, his smile big with all his teeth showing.

His smile was probably the only thing that could link him and Kahota together as siblings. Other than that, they looked barely related.

Kahota looked very much like her father- almond eyes, icy blue in color, a wide forehead, heart shaped face that ended with a pointed chin. High cheek bones, sloping nose. The only thing she took from her mother was the size of her nose and the smile that she shared with her brother. Hokada looked nothing like his father yet nothing really could connect him to his mother either. The shape of his eyes were vaguely similar, but while hers were a shade of deep blue, his were a surprisingly pale green-blue color.

Noatak stood up and walked over, picked the frame up and looked at it closer. 'You're dead." Noatak thought. A great sadness washed over him as he look at the boy in the picture smiling. He vaguely, and for a reason unknown to Noatak, reminded him of his younger brother. Once again, he prayed that Tarrlok was okay and placed the picture back on the desk.

He sighed and walked back over to the bed, slowly peeling the cover off, and slipping inside.

He stared at the ceiling, still thinking about his brother, knowing he was okay, but still praying anyway. His eyes curiously wandered back to the picture and Noatak lazily turned to face it, studying it one more time, finding new things each time his eyes shifted.

After a moment of what seemed to be more than enough time to have looked at the picture, Noatak exhaled heavily, a light pang in his chest.

"goodnight." He said, and turned back over to face the wall. "Goodnight." he repeated again in a softer, almost inaudible voice, pulled the blankets closer to his body, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

* * *

Please R&R! Hope you enjoyed it.

-Bea


	5. The Vision

_"sleep, my darling, rest your eyes. Sleep, my darling, 'til the suns in the sky. Dream, my darling, how I love you so. Dream, my darling, I'll love you 'til my heart does go."_

Yena sang as she slowly rocked baby Maaya back and forth, a bottle held to the infants mouth. She continued humming as the child drank, tears stuck in the corners of her tiny eyelids.

"Mother. papa. May I come in?" A small voice said.

Kahota peaked her head in through the side of the curtain, waiting for permission to enter.

Yena look to her husband and then back to kahota. "I'll let you two talk," as she excused herself, continuing to hum the same lullaby as before.

"You can come in, Kahota," Hasook said, waving her in. "What is it?"

"I want to speak to you about Noatak." She explain. Her father sighed heavily, knowing that's what she wanted. "Papa, you can't make him leave tomorrow. He has no place to go."

"Kahota, I will not risk my family's safety for a boy I don't know."

"He won't harm us-"

"I won't take a chance." Her father said, raising his voice and startling Kahota. He never raised his voice at her. "Do you know what I've been hearing from the North?" He asked, lowering his voice again. Kahota, still looking at the ground, shook her head. "There are rumors that some of the men are practicing bending. illegal bending. Bending that easily harm you or me." Hasook motioned for his daughter to come to him. She stood in front of him, still avoiding his gaze, as he gingerly pushed hair behind her ear. His fingertips trailed down the side of her face and gently held her chin, bringing it up so her eyes would meet his. "I will not lose another member of my family." Kahota quickly pushed off her father's hold of her.

"Noatak wouldn't do that. He wouldn't hurt us. He's just a kid."

"If he is what the rumors say, it doesn't matter. They are ruthless." His voice grew frustrated, angry. "Trail of animals have been found, their insides completely destroyed." Kahota's eyes grew wide, mouth gaped open slightly. "Tell me _that_ isn't something to worry about." She shook her head, shutting her eyes tightly.

"Noatak isn't one of them. I know it! He is good. The people of the northern tribes are our brothers. How can we turn one of them away when they need help?"

"He is not staying here, Kahota. That is final."

"But papa-"

"This conversation is over."

"I saved him! Papa, _I_ saved _him_. He was caught in the storm and I saved him." The lie she had told him earlier was out. There was no cracked ice, no rescue by Noatak. Hasook frowned. "I saved him."

"You should have left him to perish." A ripple of pain went through the small girls heart, a small whimper escaped from her lips.

"That is a very cruel thing for you to say, Papa. How could you say that?" she asked in a small, mousy voice.

"He was not your responsibility, Kahota. He could have been... dangerous."

"_Dangerous_? he was unconscious!"

"A boy like him should not have been wandering around in a storm."

"Then I guess you must have wished the same thing for Hokada." Silence. A tiny, almost guilt-like feeling ran through kahota. for a moment she wished she could return the words back into her to remain just as a thought, but the moment passed. She knew she was right.

She watched as her father just stood there, back to her. He had stiffened ever so slightly at the mention of his son. What seemed to be an eternity passed. Kahota stood rooted her place, eyes challenging her father to refute her. "This isn't about Hokada." He turned around to face his daughter. His eyes looked angry, brimmed with the an almost unnoticeable red. "He will not stay here."

"But-"

"Go to bed, Kahota. That is enough." His words weren't loud, but they were dangerous loaded. It was this kind of voice that scared Kahota the most.

"But if you would just listen!"

"I'm done listening! Go. To. Bed." A small cry could be heard in one of the rooms over followed by A series of shuffled footsteps. The crying continued, softer now, but mixed in between the sound of Yena's singing. The shouting had obviously woken up one her siblings.

"I saw Hokada," She said boldy. "I _saw_ him." Hasook's face melted into some mixture of disbelief and sadness. His eyes widened as he swallowed hard, His mouth then dropping open slightly.

Kahota's eyes stung with tears not wanting to spill. Kahota wasn't a crier. She never cried and in fact, she rarely ever felt like crying. She didn't know why her eyes were tearing up this way. She wasn't sad. Not about Hokada.

"I was coming back from fishing. I had traveled farther than I was supposed to, but I was tired of not catching the fish I wanted to catch. Tired of not being able to use my bending! So I went out farther than I was supposed to- about 4 miles- and I was riding back on Nola." Kahota looked to her father, made sure he was still listening. And he was. Completely. "When I got about half way home, I saw a figure standing with his back to me. I couldn't see who it was, but as I walked closer..." Kahota recounted the memory in her head. It still played clearly, as if she was reliving it again. It was _him_. "As I walked closer, I realized it looked like Hokada. I called out his name, but he didn't turn around. He didn't hear me. So I got off Nola and ran a bit closer, calling his name again. This time, he did turn around. And there he was.. it was Hokada. Just standing there.. smiling." She stopped, sighed through her nose and then continued again. "He waved to me, and so I ran towards him, calling out his name. But then as I got closer, he started to fade away until he was gone all together." Kahota looked at her father who had been sitting, motionless and quiet this whole time, taking in the story. "I was really hurt, and confused when he disappeared. I couldn't understand. But then in the snow... right where Hokada was standing, was a boy." Hasook gaze snapped up to his daughter, a look of disbelief still on his face. "He was almost frozen to death, but he was still breathing.." Kahota shook her head and kneeled down to next to her father. "I couldn't just leave him, Papa. Hokada lead me to him. He wanted me to save him." Hasook peered at his daughter. His eyebrows were furrowed, his lips curved into a small frown. "Noatak didn't save me. I found him. I saved him. I can't leave him now."

They studied each other's face, carefully, neither one letting up. Kahota looked at her father with determination, face strong and unfaulting yet still filled with kindess and a sense of pleading.

Finally, Hasook sighed, rubbed his temples, and looked back up at the small girl in front of him. He placed his hand on her cheek lightly stroked it with his thumb.

"You are a very brave and kind person, Kahota. And I am very... proud of what you did." The movement in his hand stopped and he looked away, ashamed, sighing. "I'm very sorry for things I said. I hope you can forgive me." His eyes met hers again and kahota gave his a small, half smile. She nodded.

Hasook stood up, helping his daughter up as well and held her. She could feel his breath still staggering and uneven as she hugged him, and soon, they stood apart.

"He is welcome to stay as long as he needs." a smile of appreciation spread wide across kahota's face and once again, she nodded, this time, in thanks.

"Now, it's getting late." He said, which Kahota knew meant it was really time for her to go to sleep.

She hugged her father one more time, thanking him again in her head, and walked back to her room.

With an unending smile, she changed into her sleeping clothes and tucked herself into the bed, staring at the ceiling with a feeling of great happiness in her chest, a giggle or two escaping her lips.

Wearily, she started drifting into sleep, a grin still on her face. She lazily rolled her head to her right, and peered at the picture on desk next to her bed and smiled.

"Thank you, Hokada."

* * *

Hope you liked it.

R&R (:

-Bea


	6. The Confusion

_"Shhh, shh. Anka, stop giggling." A tiny voice said, sort of in a cloudy, unclear voice. "Stop, anka, stop- oh wait, look! He's waking up."_ A gasp was heard, and then expelled air could be felt sweeping on Noatak's cheek as he slowly blinked his eyes open.

Noatak sleepily turned his head slight to see two blue-eyed children staring at him, wide-eyed.

They just looked at him with a confused and almost incredulous look on their faces. Noatak did nothing but look at them back with a blank look, not fully awake from his sleep.

"Kota!" The boy shouted. "Ahhhh! Kota!" An echo of cries for Kahota filled the room as the younger girl copied the boy.

"Kota Kota Kota Kota!" The two scrambled across the room, comically rushing for the doorway, the younger one tripping several times on the way out.

"Anyuk, Anka!" A scolding voice was heard right outside the doorway. three pairs of legs could be scene under the curtain separating the room from the hall. One pair obviously belonging to someone much older than the older two. "Stop screaming, are you both crazy? You're going to wake him up!"

A small hiccuping voice followed after, barely audible, making it impossible for Noatak to fully understand: "but kota...already awake..." Kahota's swift hand quickly parted the curtain just enough for her face to peek through and see the no-longer-sleeping Noatak. It closed quickly after.

Noatak could see Kahota kneel down to be at the same level of the two kids. She murmured something in a low voice that he couldn't hear as he watched the little feet next to her shuffle and then finally scamper away. She stood up.

"Noatak, may I come in?" Kahota asked, peeping her head in one more time. He nodded, sitting up in his bed, and she hesitantly walked in, embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry if they woke you up... Anyuk and Anka can be pretty inconsiderate at times.." She played with the curtain behind her, not looking Noatak in the face as her cheeks radiated red. Noatak shook his head.

"I was already awake," he said. A bright smile of relief spread across Kahota's face.

"Well then I'm glad you're finally awake." Noatak's slight smiled twisted into a frown, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"finally?" Kahota, wrongfully assuming he would know what day and time it was, cocked her brow as if it was obvious.

"You've been asleep for almost three days." Her voice wasn't condescending or obnoxious. Not a hint of rudeness. just full of naivety and concern, perhaps a bit of confusion as well. "I guess the storm took more out of you than I thought."

Noatak looked around, trying to find a sign of what time it was. Through the side of the small curtained window he could see a tiny strand of sunlight shining.

"What time is it?" He asked.

"A little before sunset."

Noatak pondered the idea for a moment. Three days. It's been three days since he ran away from his father. From his home...

the light pitter patter of feet brought Noatak back from his thoughts. Once more he saw the small feet under the brown curtain, this time, accompanied by two faces peaking through.

"Kota.." said one mousey voice before the two children came rushing in, clinging to Kahota's pant leg. The boy buried his face in the blue fabric before signaling for kahota to kneel down. He whispered something in her ear, sneaking a glance at Noatak from the corner of his eye. The older girl turned to look at Noatak, brows furrowed again, studying his face. Then, a slight smile broke on her face as she shook her head.

"No, it's not him. But he does look alike, doesn't he?" She told the young boy. He buried his face in her pant leg again and once more signaled to her that he had to tell her something.

"Hmm?" Kahota questioned, not fully understanding the boy's quiet voice. he repeated himself much louder this time, cupping his hands around the girl's ear.

"...is he? ...hurt us, right?" Could be heard by Noatak, still sitting in the bed. He looked to Kahota. She shook her head, smiling.

"Of course not. He's a friend." She assured him. She stood up, placing a hand on his back, and the other on the back of the younger girl's head. "Here. Come on, you can meet him."

She slowly walked toward Noatak as the two children clung to her hesitantly. With every step, they tried to stay hidden behind her thin legs. "Come on, it's okay." She stopped and first looked to the boy who was nervously avoiding eye contact with the boy in the bed. "Noatak, this is my brother Anyuk. Anyuk, this is my friend, Noatak." The boy bit his lip, shifting his eyes from Noatak to the floor several times. "Do you have anything you want to say, Anyuk?"

"Hi." Anyuk said curtly, in a voice as big as he was.

"And this," Kahota began. "This is my sister." The girl held tightly to her sister's pants, peeking with one eye at Noatak. She held close as she attempted to hide, nervous to meet the boy in front of her. "Are you nervous?" Kahota asked, kneeling down to her sister. The little girl nodded, face still smothered in the fabric. "It's okay, he's really nice." Kahota's sister pulled on her and whispered in her ear. "Yeah, I'm sure he'll like you. Don't worry." The little girl thought for a second, nodded, and then let Kahota stand back up.

"You want to tell him your name?" She asked her younger sister. She nodded and hesitantly shuffled forward.

"Anka."

"And do you want to tell him who your friend is?" Kahota asked, making Noatak confused, not knowing exactly who she was referring to. Anka nodded and swiftly held up a small raggedy doll with two button eyes and long yarn hair that she had been dragging everywhere all along.

"This is my doll Eska. But she's not really a doll. She's actually a real person who pretends she's a doll." She hugged her tightly, a wide smile plastered on her face.

Noatak looked at the two children in front of him. They looked remarkably similar, both with a chubby-cheeked childlike face, wide blue eyes, thick lashes, round nose, and a rather large pout. They both shared a softness about them that their mother, Yena, had possessed unlike their older sister who was more striking like her father.

the boy was clearly the older one of the two, Noatak thought. He estimated Anyuk's age to be around 5 or 6, Anka probably 3. About the same age difference as He and Tarrlok.

Noatak, after a moment of not knowing how to react, finally got out of the bed and walked over to the two. They both stiffened a bit, a second away from retreating back to their hiding space behind their older sister's legs, but they stayed put. Noatak knelt down, bringing himself to their eye level, and gave an almost unnoticeably small smile.

"nice to meet you," He said, extending a hand. Anyuk eyed the hand, thinking if he wanted to accept it or not, and then hesitantly shook it, only grabbing his two top fingers and then letting go. Noatak turned slightly to Anka who had been suspiciously eying him. She studied his face with an odd intensity, looking genuinely confused as she shifted her eyes from his face to the picture frame behind him on the table top. Then, as if she figured it out, a huge smile spread across her face, and she leapt toward him, embracing him tightly around the neck, her doll hitting him in the back.

"Hoka!" She exclaimed, giggling and screaming. Noatak stood up, not even having to hold onto Anka who was hugging him surprisingly tight. He shot Kahota a confused look, not knowing what to do.

She quickly grabbed her sister and managed to pull her off of Noatak despite the wiggling she was doing, and set her on the ground.

"Brother," Anka told Kahota, still smiling wide. Anyuk quickly pulled on his sister's arm, turning her around to face him, and shook his head 'no'. Anka's smile disappeared as she looked once more at Noatak and then back to her brother. She gave him a questionable look, peered back at Noatak, studying his face again, and then retreated back to her shy, mousey self, embarrassed. She hugged Eska tightly.

"You two should go wash up for dinner. Anyuk, can you take her?" Anyuk nodded and dragged his sister out of the room, Anka glancing back one more time before blushing and running out behind her brother.

Kahota sighed as she watched her two siblings leave, and then returned to her cheery self once she looked back at Noatak. he gave her a confused looked, unsure of what to make of what just happened.

"I-" He began.

"We should probably get ready for dinner as well... I'll let my mom know you'll be eating with us tonight." Kahota said, disregarding her friends confusion, and then exited the room leaving Noatak still ridden with questions.

* * *

Sorry for this being so delayed! Hope you enjoy this, although it isn't too eventful. I've got a lot of ideas sorted out in the here noggin though, so look forward to that!

R&R

-Bea


	7. The Options

Noatak made his way to the main room. Anka and Anyuk were sitting on one side of the table, with Hasook at the head. Noatak stood in the doorway for a moment. a light panic washed over him as he scanned the room for Kahota, but quickly ended as she entered the room carrying a plate of some sort of fish, followed behind by her mother.

"Noatak, i'm so glad to see you're awake. Please, sit down." Yena insisted as she placed a small bowl of soup in front of the two younger children.

"You can sit here, Noatak," Kahota said, gesturing toward the seat next to her. He made his way to seat and was greeted by a warm bowl of soup of his own.

"Let's all thank Kahota for the fish we will be having," Yena said. A chorus of 'Thank you's followed, and then she spoke again. "And, father for the Bison deer meat he provided for the soup." Once again, everyone said thank you, Kahota making an especially appreciative thanks to which she got a smile and a nod in response.

Noatak looked around the table curiously to see everyone looking to hasook until he nodded, and said "Let's eat."

Anyuk and Anka instantaneously started slurping their soup wildly, giggles escaping from their lips occasionally, until their father gave a slight clearing of his throat and threw a stern look their way.

Noatak turned to look at Kahota who was already staring at him. She cheerfully smiled at him, and then picked up her bowl. She looked over to him once more, giving him the tiniest of gestures toward his bowl with her head, encouraging him to pick it up and start eating. He did.

"I sold the last basket of fish today,"Hasook started, still focusing on the fish in front of him. "Kahota, that means I need you to go fishing again."

"Of course," Kahota responded without delay. "I'll go tomorrow morning." She turned to Noatak. "Noatak can help me too." Hasook shook his head in obvious disagreement with her plan.

"No, I need Noatak here." Hasook, finally looking up from his meal, peered at the boy sitting next to his eldest daughter. "You will clean the stables tomorrow." He said curtly.

"Father, I will clean the stables. Noatak doesn't need to do it," She insisted.

"Kahota, as long as Noatak is staying here, it's only fair that he helps out with the chores," Hasook's voice was low, with almost a sense of warning lingering. He turned to Noatak, face like stone. "Wouldn't you agree, Noatak?" Noatak gave him a nod almost involuntarily. 'No' didn't seem to be an option. "See, Kahota," was all he said, and continued with meal.

The rest of the meal was mostly eaten in silence with the occasional giggle from Anka or Anyuk as they played with their food.

When everyone was done, Kahota excused her self, signaling for Noatak to do the same, and they left for their rooms.

In his room, Noatak carefully combed out his badly knotted hair with a wolf tooth comb Kahota had left him earlier, leaving his two pieces of hair warpped as usual, and rinsed his face out of a small bowl of what was warm water that sat on his desk.

Once he was done, He stood for a minute, just taking everything in. Once again, he thought about his options. How long could he hide from his father or even stay here? Could he stay here? Where would he go if he couldn't? The questions buzzed until infinity. Noatak was usually always aware of his options, but not this time. The only seemingly possible options were 1. To go back home, 2. to keep running further from his father, knowing he would never go that far to find him given that he has Tarrlok and his wife, or; 3. He can stay here, if allowed, and try to make a new life for himself with these people.

A light knock interrupted his thoughts, followed by his own voice. "Come in," he said. Kahota stepped in through the curtain and instantly froze, an incredulous look on her face.

"Wow," She managed to whisper.

"What?" Noatak asked, deeply confused. Kahota shook her head but still looked at him a bit more intensely than usual.

"You just looked A lot like my brother for a second," she answered before returning to her sunny disposition. "But anyway, I wanted to say sorry about my father. He can be harsh sometimes." Noatak shook his head. Simple chores like that didn't bother him. He had to do them all the time since Tarrlok was younger.

"You don't need to apologize. I have to do them all the time at home," His voice rang strange on 'home'. He had forgotten for a moment that 'his home' was no longer 'his'.

Kahota opened her mouth, prepared to ask something, but must have sensed the strangeness, and shut it, smiling again. "I just wanted to apologize anyway. Cleaning the stables is no fun job." Noatak smiled small, accepting the not-needed apology, and a silence hung in the air. "But yeah. I'll say goodnight."

Noatak nodded. "Goodnight, Kahota," He responded. Kahota looked at him for a moment with a face of a bit of shock and disbelief before giving the most genuine smile Noatak had ever seen, and then leaving the room.

* * *

Sorry for being M.I.A for a while.. I was visiting family in Canada and I didn't really have a chance to write.

But here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

-Bea


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